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Thursday, May 3, 2007

Barkley Bashes the Bay Area

TNT broadcaster and NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley dissed the Bay Area recently, saying that he would rather live on Alcatraz than reside in either Oakland or San Francisco. He went on to say that he likes Sacramento more. Locals are fuming and want The Round Mound of Rebound’s large head on a platter.

“I love it when they give me a hard time,” Barkley said. “I know that I’m getting a lot of love there now.”

Bay Area radio and TV stations have received numerous complaints about Barkley’s remarks. People have created amusing photo shopped pictures of Barkley in a rowboat on his way to Alcatraz, in a jail cell or hanging out hugging guys in the Castro. The Cities by the Bay are mad, but what they don’t realize is that they’re playing directly into Barkley’s plans with their reactions.

Barkley makes his money saying outrageous things. By shooting from the hip and going against the grain, he has established a reputation for being irreverent and controversial. That’s how he gets his name in the press. TNT loves it, because Barkley takes the heat and they get the ratings.

Let’s face it -- the NBA playoffs this year aren’t as exciting as they’ve been in the past. Without the Golden State Warriors, it’s a fairly ho-hum lineup of games. Sure, King James is fun to watch, and the Chicago Bulls are an exciting team young with a promising future, but other than that, it’s a bunch of the same teams we see in the postseason year after year.

So, Barkley decided to spice things up a bit. By insulting the Bay Area, he’s put himself right in the spotlight, which is where he’s comfortable. Now fans all over the country are going to be rooting for the Warriors. He’s made them America’s Underdog with his comments.

Good job, Charles. You could teach our President a few things about spinning the media to your advantage. You’re in the NBA Hall of Fame for getting points on the court and rebounding well. And now you’re doing the same thing from the broadcaster’s booth.